---

School Board News Bulletin
December 1997

---

Research Reports: facts and figures for school leaders
Dropout reduction ideas listed
School choice study: parents look for best program
Most states show significant gains in math, science

Tools for Schools
EdInfo offered free on Internet
African-American education data available

News from IASB
Fighting tax caps just got easier
ISDLAF+ gets top rating from S&P
Make the holiday season a safe season: Some advice from WCSIT and ISDA

Workshops and Meetings
State summit on parent involvement planned

The National Scene
Few are sure what's in Constitution
Chicago reforms show results

Federal Update
Feds to offer guidelines on school reforms
Voucher victories may be revisited

Recent Mailings from IASB

Major school funding bill approved in special session called by Governor

The Illinois House of Representatives approved a major school-funding bill December 2 that will deliver roughly $485 million in new state funds to public schools. The bill, HB 452, was adopted on a vote of 83-31-2 in a Special Session called by Governor Jim Edgar. The bill was signed by the Governor on December 4.

Governor Edgar called the bill "the most significant" education funding legislation of the past 30 years and said it marked a Amajor milestone" for his administration.

The Illinois House fell four votes short of passing the bill in the November veto session. Thus the legislation, sponsored in the House by Rep. Lee Daniels (R., Elmhurst), became the topic of a special session of the legislature. Daniels called the vote a "gigantic step forward in improving the quality of education in Illinois."

House Speaker Michael Madigan (D., Chicago) voted in favor of the bill as well. But he complained it does not narrow the gap between rich and poor schools as the Governor's school funding reform plan would have done.

The bill contains:

• a foundation level of $4,225 per student
• approximately 485 million new dollars for education
• a school construction bond program of $1.4 billion
• substantive education revisions regarding teacher certification, tenure, school nurses, teacher dismissal and remediation, and alternative certification for school administrators
• no property tax relief
• no increase in the income tax, but increases in the taxes on cigarettes, telephones and riverboats, plus higher fees for those who file income taxes late
• an increase in the foundation level to $4,445 per student by fiscal year 2000
• a reduction in the remediation period for unsatisfactory, tenured teachers to 90 days (instead of one year)
• a change in the law so charter school applicants do not have to "demonstrate unequivocally" that the school will meet the requirements of the Act to be approved
• a change in the charter law to allow the State Board of Education to become the chartering entity.

In FY'99 and beyond the bill creates a new formula:

• in the new funding formula, for a school district to access the foundation level the formula establishes "Available Local Resources." Available Local Resources include: 1) the district's EAV multiplied by calculation rates of $3.00 for unit districts, $2.30 for elementary districts, and $1.20 for high school districts; plus two) the district's Corporate Personal Property Replacement Taxes. The total of these local resources are then divided by the district's best three months' average daily attendance for the prior year.
• General State Aid is calculated one of three ways: If a district's available local resources per pupil are less then 93 percent of the foundation level, the district's state aid = (Foundation level - available local resources) x ADA. If a district's available local resources per pupil are more than 93%, but less than 175% of the foundation level, the district's state aid = a sliding amount from 7% to 5% of the foundation level x ADA. If a district's available local resources per pupil are more than 175% of the foundation level, the district's state aid = $218 x ADA. Foundation levels are set as follows: FY'99 - $4,225 per pupil, FY'00 - $4,325 per pupil and FY'01 - $4,425 per pupil. Grade level weightings are eliminated. A supplemental poverty grant is created. "Low-income concentration level" is the low-income eligible pupil count from the most recently available federal census divided by the ADA of the school district.

  Low income concentration	Supp. Grant per low income pupil
  20% - 35%	$800
  35% - 50%	$1,100 (FY'99)
  	$1,200 (FY'00)
  	$1,230 (FY'01)
  50% - 60%	$1,500 (FY'99)
  	$1,600 (FY'00)
  	$1,640 (FY'01)
  60% or more	$1,900 (FY'99)
  	$2,000 (FY'00)
  	$2,050 (FY'01)

Hold harmless

A permanent hold harmless provision will guarantee that no district will receive less state aid than received in 1997-98. Hold harmless payments will come from an appropriation separate from the state aid payment and if the hold harmless appropriation is short, amounts will be prorated. A supplemental grant is provided to address the "double whammy" beginning in 1999-2000. This grant payment will come from a separate appropriation and, if not fully funded, it could be prorated.

• To be eligible for the "double whammy" grant, school districts must be under a property tax cap, must have an operating tax rate of at least 3.00 % for unit districts, 2.30 % for elementary districts and 1.41 % for high school districts, must have had their OTR's reduced by the cap, and must have available local resources of less than 175% of the foundation level. An eligible district's state aid will be calculated two ways: 1) using their actual increase in EAV, and 2) using an increase in EAV equal to their increase in extensions. If method number two produces a higher amount, the district will be entitled to receive that higher amount through this supplemental grant.
• The bill creates an Education Funding Advisory Board to make recommendations for foundation levels and poverty grants for FY'02 and beyond, basing their recommendations on the methodology of the Ikenberry Commission. The board will make recommendations to the General Assembly on January 1 of odd-numbered years.

The bill directs the General Assembly to fully fund the formula and poverty grant. If the appropriation is insufficient, the bill has a continuing appropriation to provide full funding. However, there is no provision that directly transfers the necessary funds into the appropriate account. The continuing appropriation provision sunsets June 30, 2001.

Construction grants

• A $1.4 billion school construction program is established based upon a grant index ranging from 35% - 75% and includes a provision limiting eligibility to those with a student population over 200 students (elementary schools and high schools) and 400 students (unit districts). Chicago is guaranteed 20% of the school construction grants awarded each year.

The construction grant program (school construction is defined as "acquisition, development, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvement, architectural planning, and installation of capital facilities") will be jointly administered by the State Board of Education and the Capital Development Board, with both agencies authorized to promulgate rules and regulations. The State Board will accept all program applications, approve plans of applicants, calculate grant indexes for school districts, develop eligibility standards, order projects based on specified priorities, award construction grant entitlements and award debt service grants. The CDB will develop construction project standards, award school construction project grants and exercise general supervision over school construction projects receiving grants.

Bond funds

The state is authorized to issue $1.1 billion in general obligation bonds over a five-year period, with revenues deposited in the "School Infrastructure Fund". The fund will first pay on the principal and interest on that bonded indebtedness with the remainder of the funds, subject to appropriation, going to the new "School Technology Revolving Loan Fund," the administrative costs of the SBE and CDB incurred in the operation of the grant program, and to the school construction grants and debt reduction grants.

Lawmakers also approved a supplemental budget for Fiscal Year 1998 in the special session with $120 million in added funding for Illinois schools this year. The bill was needed to address a costly shortfall in the education budget arising from substantial errors in state forecasts of student attendance and equalized assessments.

November veto session action

Tuition tax credits -- HB 999 (McCarthy, D., Tinley Park) was approved by the Senate in November on a vote of 38-14-6. The bill will allow income tax credits of up to $500 per family for tuition and fees at public or private elementary and secondary schools. The bill passed the House earlier in the year and will now be sent to the Governor.

2.2% pension rate -- The Senate Insurance and Pensions Committee approved the first Conference Committee Report to S.B. 3 C the 2.2% flat rate formula for TRS. The 2.2 pension issue had been shelved for most of the veto session pending action on a school funding reform bill. When the Senate approved the school funding bill, the pension committee was able to move the 2.2 language out to the floor. However, there was no movement on this pension issue in the House of Representatives.

High school newspapers -- B 154, the bill dealing with high school student newspapers, failed to pass. Senator Kathleen Parker (R., Northbrook) did not call the motion to override the Governor's veto. After the Alliance led a lobbying blitz on this issue, the sponsor could not find the necessary votes to override the veto and the motion was left on the table.

Electric deregulation bill -- A bill was sent to the Governor that will phase in a deregulation of the electric companies, allowing for immediate residential rate decreases and eventually, the option of choosing one's electric utility. A companion bill was passed that will delay the ability of the utility companies to accelerate the depreciation of property in power plant areas. An accompanying bill also sets up a task force to develop a plan for acceptable depreciation of property under the new competitive marketplace. Local governments and school districts allegedly would have seen substantial loss of property tax revenues because of the deregulation bill without this additional bill.

E-rate applications mailed to all schools, according to NSBA

The Schools and Libraries Corporation Help Line for the Universal Service (E-Rate) application forms is up and running. The FCC reportedly has mailed application forms to all schools and libraries. The SCL Help Line phone number: 888-203-8100. E-Mail: question@slcfund.org

New driver licensing system takes effect in January 1998

Under a recent state law that takes effect January 1, a graduated driver licensing system will be instituted to gradually give young, beginning drivers full driving privileges. The new three-level system is intended to ensure that early driving experience is acquired in low-risk situations. The three levels of the new system are as follows:

Permit phase (drivers 15 years old and under)

• All occupants under age 18 must wear safety belts
• Number of passengers limited to one in front seat and to number of safety belts in back seat
• Practice driving supervised by parent or adult age 21 or older
• Permit must be held for a minimum of three months and is valid for up to two years
• 11 p.m. curfew Sunday through Thursday; midnight Friday and Saturday
• Parental consent needed to obtain permit
• .00 Blood Alcohol Content (B.A.C.)
• Completion of approved driver education course and testing
• Passage of vision and knowledge tests
• Limit one court supervision for serious offenses
• Conviction of serious moving violation results in a six-month licensing denial
• Any driver found without a permit will be ineligible to obtain a license until age 18.

Initial licensing phase (drivers 16-17 years old)

• All occupants under age 18 must wear safety belts
• Number of passengers limited to 1 in front seat and to number of safety belts in back seat
• Parental consent required to obtain license; parent must confirm that a minimum of 25 hours of practice has taken place
• 11 p.m. curfew Sunday through Thursday; midnight Friday and Saturday for 16 year olds
• .00 Blood Alcohol Content (B.A.C.)
• Limit of one court supervision for serious offenses
• Conviction of any moving violation before age 18 generates warning letter to parent and teen
• Second conviction of any moving violation before age 18 results in minimum 30-day suspension (longer suspensions for subsequent violations)
• Suspended drivers required to attend remedial education course, be restored, and pay $30 reinstatement fee.

Full licensing phase (drivers 18-20 years old)

• .00 Blood Alcohol Content (B.A.C.)
• Limit of one court supervision for serious offenses
• Suspended drivers required to pay $30 reinstatement fee
• Conviction of two moving violations in 24-month period results in minimum 30-day suspension (longer suspensions for subsequent violations).

Latest drug data mixed

The latest survey of teenage drug use shows mixed results. The 10th annual Pride Survey of more than 141,000 secondary school students shows the five-year frenzy of drug use may have stabilized among older youths, but drug use continues to rise among 11 to 14-year-olds.

The monthly use of most drugs during the 1996-97 school year by students in grades 9-12 has not changed from the previous year. But students in grades 6-8 reported statistically significant increases in monthly use of marijuana, cocaine, uppers, downers, hallucinogens, and heroin. Eleven percent of middle school students reported using drugs at least once a month.

Among high school students, increases were reported in monthly cigarette and liquor use, and decreases were found in inhalant and hallucinogen use.

"Though I caution against too much optimism, there is a glimmer of hope in the data," said Pride President Thomas J. Gleaton. "The increases this year were not nearly as steep as we've seen in recent years, and in some cases, we observed slight decreases." For more information contact Pride, Atlanta, 770/458-9900.

RESEARCH REPORTS
Facts and figures for school leader

Dropout reduction ideas listed

A recent study in Oregon suggests that some strategies schools have used to reduce dropout rates might work well in just about any school. The study, Dropout-Reduction Strategies in Oregon High Schools, examined 15 schools that have shown success in reducing dropout rates below the statewide average. Although no one claimed to have found the one and only answer, researchers found common factors in such schools: all had a supportive, positive school community, and all exhibited high expectations for students.

The most successful schools also made unusual efforts to help students "whose needs were not being met," according to one report. For instance:

• Students in one district's "Twilight School" program can earn credits toward graduation by working through learning materials developed by their teachers. Three daily sessions are held at each school in the district, however students must show progress to remain enrolled in Twilight School.
• Another district coordinates employment programs for students, many of whom are Native Americans. Tribal leaders work with the schools to find the best placement for their young people, and they meet with the school's Native American Club on a regular basis.
• A third school district offers "transition" courses in every core area for Hispanic students to ask for translations when they are in over their heads.

The 34-page study is available for $7 plus $4 shipping and handling from the Oregon School Study Council/University of Oregon, 5207 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5207; telephone: 503/346-5044; fax: 503/346-2334.

Source: Educational Research Service, ERS Bulletin, October 1997.

School choice study: parents look for best program

What do parents look for when choosing a school for their child? Are better test score results the main determinant? Interviews with 270 parents, administrators and teachers involved in school choice programs in Cleveland and Milwaukee indicate that the school's program is uppermost in parents minds. Parents mainly want to know about the school's curriculum and instructional method.

Other major findings:

• Information about teachers is the second most common response from parents
• Other crucial criteria parents mention, "in order of frequencyY are school characteristics, such as class size and make-up of student body; general student outcomes, such as development of lifetime skills and advancement to the next grade level; safety and discipline at the school; standardized test scores; level of parent involvement and the school's reputation," according to the report
• Administrators and teachers agree with parents that the school's program is the top concern parents have when choosing a school for their child.

The authors of the study conclude, among other things, that Astudies that solely evaluate school choice from the perspective of standardized test scores are not providing these stakeholders [parents] with the kind of accountability that they demand from a school.

"An unintended consequence of such narrowly focused evaluations may be that we miss the opportunity for showcasing what is highly valued by parents in a school," the authors say.

The study was conducted by the Public Policy Forum, an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to providing timely, objective information on community issues for governments, businesses and citizens.

Copies of the report, School Choice in Cleveland and Milwaukee: What Parents Look For, are available from the Public Policy Forum, Suite 406, 633 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53203; phone 414/276-8240; fax 414/276-9962; e-mail: ppf@execpc.com; Internet: www.execpc.com/~ppf.

Most states show significant gains in math, science

The National Education Goals Panel (NEGP) reports significant progress in math and science achievement this year, leading panel members to believe that the United States can achieve world preeminence in math and science achievement.

The Goals Panel presented data showing improvement in several education indicators, with a majority of states making significant gains in math and science achievement and education.

"Are we there yet? No, but there is no reason we can't be first," said Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. (D-NC), chairman of the National Education Goals Panel.

"As encouraging as these improvements are, we also know there is much more work to be done. That is why the Goals Panel is proposing steps in this year's report to raise achievement levels of our young people--set tougher standards that are comparable to the best in the world; link curricula, instruction, textbooks, assessments and school policies with academic standards; and, strengthen our teachers' subject-matter knowledge and teaching skills. If we do these three important things, we can be the first in the world in math and science achievement," Hunt concluded.

The goals panel report details the progress the nation and states are making toward reaching the eight National Education Goals. The report also highlights student achievement in mathematics and science and compares achievement of U.S. students in mathematics and science with students from other industrialized nations. As part of its report, the panel also presented steps to raise U.S. achievement to world-class standards.

The National Education Goals call for greater levels of: student achievement and citizenship; high school completion; teacher education and professional development; parental participation in the schools; literacy and lifelong learning; and safe, disciplined, and alcohol- and drug-free schools. The Goals also call for all children to be ready to learn by the time they start school and for U.S. students to be the first in the world in mathematics and science achievement by the year 2000.

Copies of the report, "The National Education Goals Report: Building a Nation of Learners," are available free by faxing a request to 202/632-0957, or by visiting the panel's web site at www.negp.gov. Requests also can be mailed to: NEGP, 1255 22nd St., NW, Suite 502, Washington, DC 20037.

TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS

EdInfo offered free on Internet

EDInfo is a free Internet service that delivers up to three informative, useful e-mail messages per week from the U.S. Department of Education. Subjects range from grant opportunities, school discipline and professional development to safe and drug-free school, technology resources, Goals 2000, America Goes Back to School, and the Read*Write Now! summer reading program, and financial aid.

Most messages include a summary, excerpts and details on how to get more information. They're in the public domain--meaning that you may photocopy, forward or use them in your own publications.

Since EdInfo's introduction in 1995, more than 5,500 teachers, administrators, parents, school board members, legislators, community leaders and other interested in education have subscribed.

To sign up, address an e-mail message to: listproc@inet.ed.gov. Write this (and nothing else) in your message: subscribe EdInfo Yourfirstname Yourlastname. And if you have a signature block, turn it off.

African-American education data available

African-American children are more likely to attend preschool than white children, although participation rates generally increase with income.

That is one of the findings of "The African-American Education Data Book; Preschool through High School Education," published recently by the Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute in Fairfax, Virginia. The book is the second of three volumes released this year. The first dealt with higher and adult education. The final volume focuses on transitions from high school to college and work.

The book is compiled from numerous national databases to reveal the status, performance, and progress of blacks in preschool through high school. Its authors contend visible racial distinctions still remain in America's public and private schools that negatively affect the academic achievement of black students in school.

The Institute is the research arm of the College Fund/UNCF. To obtain copies of the book, call the Institute at 703/205-2000.

NEWS FROM IASB

Fighting tax caps just got easier

School leaders and local community groups preparing to fight tax cap proposals in upcoming consolidated elections can get solid ideas from various successful campaigns elsewhere. IASB is amassing a collection of the materials produced for successful anti-tax cap campaigns.

To reserve your district's copy of this set of materials, contact IASB publications (telephone extension 1108) and request Management Information item 97-12.

ISDLAF+ gets top rating from S&P

The Board of Trustees of the Illinois School District Liquid Asset Fund Plus (ISDLAF+) recently announced that Standard & Poor's has assigned its AAAm money market fund rating to both the Liquid Series and the MAX Series of the Fund. This is the highest such rating for investment pools.

The Fund is a common law trust organized and existing under Illinois state laws. The general objective of each Series is to preserve capital for the participants, maintain liquidity and provide a competitive yield. Both money market type funds have been especially designed for Illinois school entitities.

In order to meet its investment objectives, each Series invests its assets in instruments authorized by Illinois state laws that govern the investment of public funds. These typically include U.S. treasuries and agencies, repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. treasuries and agencies, and certain high quality obligations of banks and corporations. In order to minimize fluctuations in net asset values and to provide liquidity to the Series' participants, the weighted average maturity of the portfolio of the Liquid Series and the MAX Series will be 60 days or less.

The ISDLAF+ started operations in 1984. Since its inception, no member has ever lost any principal or interest in any investments with the Fund. Management of the Fund is vested in a Board of Trustees selected from Illinois public school board members, school superintendents, business managers, township school treasurers and community college administrators. The Executive Directors of the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Business Officials and the Illinois Association of School Administrators are ex-officio members of the Board.

The Trustees have appointed Cadre Financial Services, Inc., to serve as the investment adviser and administrator. In this role, Cadre supervises the investment program, coordinates all Fund operations and provides marketing services for Fund shares through its affiliate, Cadre Securities, Inc. Cadre Financial is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ambac Capital Corp., which, in turn, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ambac Financial Group, Inc.

Make the holiday season a safe season: Some advice from WCSIT and ISDA

The holiday season may seem a strange time to consider loss control, but it presents several special concerns. More arson will be perpetrated against school facilities during the holiday break than at any time during the school year. Now is the time to take some common-sense steps to combat this threat:

1. All fire alarm systems should be checked and tested. Involve your local fire protection authorities both to eliminate any possible false alarms and as a resource for helpful hints for improvement.

2. Inspect all in-house fire-fighting equipment. Make sure extinguishers are in place, properly charged, inspected and accessible. If a sprinkler system or other automatic fire suppression is in place, verify that it has been properly inspected, tested and certified by qualified individuals.

3. Verify that all intrusion alarm systems are functional. If you do not have an alarm system, verify that all doors, windows and other points of access are locked. Also verify that all outdoor lighting is functional and that it is turned on at appropriate hours.

4. Be sure that all fuels and possible accelerants are inaccessible in locked storage. Also, combustible materials, such as paper, trash, wood and lumber, should be removed from outdoor areas to prevent their use as kindling.

5. Ask your local law enforcement authorities about the possibility of additional after-dark drive-by surveillance of your facilities and report all threats made against your facilities no matter how spurious you judge them to be.

Those trying to extend the holiday break are not the only concern. Winter, with its cold weather bag of tricks, demands some attention also.

All space heaters should be turned off and unplugged before the holiday break. Have a maintenance or custodial person do a walk through to verify compliance. This ounce of prevention will go a long way toward alleviating the hazard of electrical fire.

Fire is not the only seasonal hazard. Frozen pipes can cause extensive damage, but, once again, some common-sense measures can go far in reducing the threat.

1. Check all boilers and circulating pumps to verify proper operation. Promptly repair any noted deficiencies. There is also no better time for regular preventive maintenance.

2. Check the building and seal any and all unnecessary openings. Even small openings can allow enough cold air to enter to cause localized freezing.

3. Finally, make sure all doors and windows are tightly closed and properly sealed.

These few simple steps can help assure that Illinois school districts start the New Year on the right foot.

Even during the holiday break, Workers' Compensation Self-Insurance Trust (WCSIT) and Illinois School District Agency (ISDA) participants' claims should be promptly reported to Hinz Claim Management at: 800/419-3205.

WORKSHOPS AND MEETINGS

State summit on parent involvement planned Member associations of the Illinois Learning Partnership (ILP) and the Illinois PTA will sponsor a statewide summit to release the national standards for parent/family involvement in education. "Together We Can" will be held from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, March 16, 1998 at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield.

Conference activities will support the implementation of the National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Program. The agenda includes leaders in education and nationally noted speakers.

Workshops on creating parent involvement policies, getting parents involved through the spirit of volunteerism, teacher preparation through teacher standards, and a closer look at the Illinois Learning Standards and the National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement will be featured.

The standards were developed by the National PTA in collaboration with parent involvement researchers and other national leaders, and endorsed by more than 30 professional education and parent/family involvement organizations. The standards promote communicating, parenting, student learning, volunteering, school decision making and advocacy, and collaborating with the community.

If you are involved in an ILP regional learning network, or a school improvement team, plan to attend with a school community team. Registration deadline is March 9, 1998. The registration fee is $25 per person, or $75 per team of four and $15 for each additional person. For more information, contact the Illinois PTA, 901 South Spring Street, Springfield, IL 62704; phone 217/528-9617.

THE NATIONAL SCENE

Few are sure what's in Constitution

The first-ever national poll of Americans' constitutional knowledge discovered that while Americans "cherish" the U.S. Constitution, they know little of what is included in the document.

Some findings of the survey, released by the National Constitution Center, found:

• 84 percent of respondents said the Constitution states that "all men are created equal."
• 16 percent said the Constitution established America as a Christian nation.
• Only 19 percent of respondents were deemed very knowledgeable (8-10 correct answers out of 10 questions), 36 percent were somewhat knowledgeable (5-7 correct) and 45 percent not knowledgeable (1-4 correct) about the Constitution.
• One in five do not know that the president is commander-in-chief of the U.S. armed forces.
• 35 percent believe that the Constitution mandates English as the official language.

Chicago reforms show results

President Clinton's recent praise of the Chicago schools highlights the dramatic changes that have occurred since 1995, when the elected school board was ousted by the Illinois General Assembly. At that time the schools were placed under the authority of Mayor Richard M. Daley and his hand-picked School Reform Board of Trustees.

Here are some of the major reform efforts of the past two years:

• After years of fiscal mismanagement allegations and endemic labor disputes, the new school administration brought order to the school budget and signed a four-year contract with teachers.
• Principals and teachers are held to higher levels of accountability. Today, nearly one-fifth of the city's 557 schools -- those with a large number of poor-performing students -- are under formal probation, a status that leads to increased oversight and technical assistance by the central office.
• To date, seven of the most troubled high schools have been "reconstituted," a reorganization that requires principals, teachers and other staff to re-apply for their jobs. At least 14 principals have been removed from their schools in the past two years.
• A new promotion policy attempts to end years of damaging social promotion. Students in third, sixth, eighth, and ninth grades must pass reading and math tests to advance to the next grade.
• Last summer, nearly 41,000 students that failed these tests had to attend summer school to retake the tests. Many passed, but nearly 11,000 students were held back this fall, and another 5,500 ninth graders who failed their exams are being forced to repeat math and reading courses.
• The ISBE recently released information showing the Chicago public schools were improving at a faster rate than the state average. Statewide, schools improved by only 19 percent while Chicago public schools showed a 37 percent improvement rate.
• Student test scores also have risen in Chicago's public schools. Citywide reading and math test scores for 9th and 11th graders increased in most high schools for the first time in four years.

For all the praise earned by these efforts, school officials still have their critics. Some complain that reform initiatives have been launched without adequate planning and support, leading to some confusion and making it more difficult for school staffs to do their jobs.

The central office also has been criticized for its lukewarm support for the city's ambitious site-based management and Local School Council programs, which are credited with playing a role in some of the recent school improvements.

FEDERAL UPDATE

Feds to offer guidelines on school reforms

Citing Chicago's efforts to reform its troubled school system, President Clinton has ordered the U.S. Education Department to offer guidance and technical assistance to cities and states to help them improve -- or, as a last resort, shut down - low-performing schools.

An October 28 memorandum to U.S. Education Secretary Richard W. Riley orders the department to provide within 90 days guidelines on effective approaches to turn around troubled schools.

These strategies are to be culled from existing research, the experiences of the business community in managing high-performance organizations, and "promising models of reform" already found in the nation's schools.

The directive orders the department to develop a plan to provide technical assistance on school reform and disseminate information on using funds from existing federal programs to support local reform efforts. It makes no mention of additional funds to support local reform efforts.

Among the existing programs that could be used in this effort, the President cited Title I, Goals 2000, the Public Charter Schools Program, and the 21st Century Schools Program.

Announcing the new initiative during a visit to Chicago, Clinton made a point of praising the city's recent reform effort.

Voucher victories may me revisited

After an intensive lobbying campaign by the public education community, NSBA, and local school board members nationwide, a series of voucher proposals were narrowly defeated in the closing days of the 1997 Congress.

NSBA lobbyists say "these issues will be revisited in the next session of the Congress, and school board members need to talk with their members of Congress to ensure that the public education voice continues to be heard."

The voucher proposals defeated in November included:

• Title VI voucher plan. Thirty-five Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives broke with their party and voted in opposition to legislation that would have allowed school districts to utilize Title VI (formerly Chapter 2) grants to fund private and parochial school vouchers for low-income students. The so-called "HELP" bill (H.R. 2746), sponsored by Representatives J.C. Watts (R., OK) and Floyd Flake (D., NY) was defeated on the floor of the House by a vote of 191-228.
• Education "IRAs." Although it later failed in the Senate, the U.S. House passed the education AIRA@ legislation October 23. The bill (H.R. 2646/S.1133), sponsored by Senator Paul Coverdell (R., GA) and Republican leaders in the House, would allow parents to set up a tax-free education AIRA@ of $2,500 per year, per child. This money could be used to pay for items such as tuition, fees, transportation, school uniforms and a myriad of other "education" expenses. This proposal would have used otherwise taxable income to finance private and parochial education.
• District of Columbia (D.C.) vouchers. Voucher advocates also failed to win final congressional passage of a voucher plan for D.C. The plan (S. 1502) would have created vouchers of $3,200 per child for approximately 2,000 D.C. families. Speaker Gingrich has said he intends to bring the bill back in early 1998.

NSBA opposes all efforts to divert federal funding from public to private and parochial schools. "During the past few months, we've seen a multi-front effort to move public funds into private schools," says NSBA Associate Executive Director Michael A. Resnick.

"Although three of these efforts failed and a fourth is expected to be vetoed, public school advocates cannot yet claim an unqualified victory. Voucher proponents--while failing to get any legislation enacted--have vowed to return next year."

For more information, call NSBA's fax-on-demand library at 800/609-6722.

Recent mailings from IASB

Not all IASB mailings are sent to all school board members. For speed or economy, some mailings are sent only to the board president or district superintendent. Here is a list of such items mailed recently. For more information about any item, contact your board president or district superintendent or get in touch with IASB.

November 18: Announcement of upcoming professional advancement seminars on seeking the superintendency, to board presidents and district superintendents.

IASB School Board News Bulletin
Illinois Association of School Boards

This newsletter is published monthly by the Illinois Association of School Boards for member boards of education and their superin-tendents. The Illinois Association of School Boards, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation, is a voluntary association of local boards of education and is not affiliated with any branch of government.

Gerald R. Glaub, Deputy Executive Director, Member Services
Gary Adkins, Editor

2921 Baker Drive
Springfield, Illinois 62703-5929
(217) 528-9688

One Imperial Place
1 East 22nd Street, Suite 20
Lombard, Illinois 60148-6120
(630) 629-3776

COPYRIGHT NOTICE -- This document is copyrighted © by the Illinois Association of School Boards. IASB hereby grants to school districts and other Internet users the right to download, print and reproduce this document provided that (a) the Illinois Association of School Boards is prominently noted as publisher and copyright holder of the document and (b) any reproductions of this document are disseminated without charge and not used for any commercial purpose.